Stability in Middle East EU's Best Protection From Refugee Crisis

Belgian Member of Parliament Herman De Croo said that Europe would not be able to live in peace unless the European Union pays the price to bring prosperity to poorer countries.

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) — Ensuring peace and prosperity in once conflict-torn countries is the best policy for the European Union to protect the bloc from massive influxes of refugees, Belgian Member of Parliament Herman De Croo told Sputnik.

"We have to stabilize [refugee] populations in their countries, which means to make peace, to protect them from bombings, from terrorists, to give them a vital minimum of life… that is the best protection for Europe," De Croo from the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD) party said.

The Belgian politician, who also holds the honorary title of Minister of State, added that Europe would not be able to live in peace unless the bloc pays the price to bring prosperity to poorer countries.

"Europe has to help people to stay at home and give them better education, better health, to provide them with jobs… It will pay for the welfare of those populations, but it will also pay for its own security," De Croo argued.

Europe has been beset by a massive refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants fleeing their home countries in the Middle East and North Africa to escape violence and poverty. The EU border agency Frontex recorded over 1.83 million illegal border crossings in the European Union in 2015.